The CSA Navy was primarily tasked with defending the waterways leading from the coastal areas (and the open sea) into the Southern hinterland from attack by the Union. The secondary mission was to venture out into the coastal areas and the open sea to attack any approaching Union ship. The problem with this latter requirement is that once CSA ships were drawn away from the protection of CSA estuary and coastal batteries – the Confederate ships were often sitting ducks. This being the case, and given that stocks of new iron were low, the secondary objective was only rarely exercised. Of course, Confederate submarines did do some surprising damage to Union shipping – but this technology was still new, quite often unreliable, and usually deadly to its own crew. Despite being side-lined in favour of the CSA Army – the CSA Navy (and those who administered it) did an extraordinarily good job against incredible odds. African-Americans, both free and still in slavery, assisted the CSA in its naval requirements.
